Abraham bassford



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v'oNrrED STATES PATENT onirica.; 'i

ABRAHAM BASSFORD, OF NEW YORK, N.

CUSHION FOR BILLARD-TABLES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 5,952,`A dated December 5, 1848; Reissued December To all wimmz'ft may concern.'

Be it known that I, ABRAHAM BAssFoRD, of the city and county of New York, in the State of New York, have invented a new and useful mode of constructing the cushion for a. billiard or a bagatelle table by a continuous tube inflated with air or gas made air-tight,.constructed of sheet gum or indiarubber or other material; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and eX-y view of the table Fig. 1 t a a. The eagles are made of cast iron, solid or hollow, according to the taste of the constructor, and a continuous iron rail rests upon the neck and wings of each eagle, Fig. 2 b having three or five braces or supports c c c c 0.,

Two of the eagles are placed upon each of the oblong sides and one at each endy of the table. The frame of the bed is made in three sections, Fig. 4 Z e f, making at the corners of (Z and f the necessary curves, g, g, g, 9,'1 j for the pockets, and in theo-uter stile of ing' Fig.- 10 L h. l/Vhen the air tightv tube is making the necessary cuttings to admit theI center pockets h hi.' the panels'which form the sections of the bed of the table Z e and f are severally made of red cedar, mahogany or any other w0od,.cut in squares of any given size-which will suit the construction,

a difference in size no-t being essential, six

inches surface being a convenient shape, and 1n thickness one and a half, or, one and aj quarter inches z' z z' Fig. 4; each square having a groove cut 1n 1t across the bed and a tongue of iron o-r wood, iron being preferj able, is driven through the muntins and each set of panels the whole width of thebed, Fig. 5 7c 7c 7a, which manner of putting the panels together makes the bed strongerl than if an alternate tongue and groove were cut in each square. A stile is framed around g three sides of Z and f and upon the ends of l vwrapping the beleved sheets around [a man- 4, the several sections being putl together and bolted down to the rail which'rests onk the bagatelle tabley the eagle Fig. 2 b,- the outside sections having four cast iron bars boltedfupon each, the bars projecting, the projection forming a tenon which is let into a corresponding mortisee Fig. 4, in the cast iron bars p p which are let into the arm of the outer sections by a mortise. f y j The eagles to form the rests or vlegs may be vput together to suit the taste of the constructor. A

a a Fig. 1 represents the surface or bed of a billiard tableor a bagatellevtable with the cushion, rail and'pockets, and a continuous vcushion extending entirely aro-und the table,

made as an air tight tube b b passing outside the pockets, Z22 Fig. 1,F ig. 7, which tube mayV U be inflated with air or gas by means of an air pump c 0 Fig. 8. v

Fig. 7 represents one of the corners of the table and the manner in which the ends of the air tight tubesare secured and fastened. by means of plugs cc Fig. 7 and cl l Fig. 9, an-d also the screw e e Fig. 8 and e e' Fig. 9 to which the air pump at e e Figg and 9 is` attached.` Thepocket irons f f Fig.' `7,

c] g Fig. 1 arecovered with a leather cover- A- sufficiently inflated a protection plate Fig. 12 is placed at'one corner over the air tube c c c c Fig. 7 and fastened securely to the pocket iron by two leather straps Fig. 7and 10 Z Z, the straps passing throughthetwo holes m m Fig. 11 `and-Fig. 12 and are buckled below the leather covering.

The cushion rail jis represented by Fig. 6

m m and Figql a aand an end -view kof thel g rail, the cushion in itsV place, Fig. 13 o 0, andA ioo ridges whenlapped, Fig. `'150g g,;then by 1 drel of suflicient size, say three eighths of an inch in thickness, Fig. 14 p gp, Fig. 15 g g, covered with cloth and cementing the edges together it receives the form of a tube,.th'en by cementing a strip of very thin india rubber about half an'inch wide over the joint the whole will be V,made air tight; it is then' covered with india rubber cloth wrapped as 110 two ends of the tube, before being filled with A Y.

air or gas, are'closed with metallic plugs c c c o Fig. 7, d d Fig. 9, the ends of the tube being, after the insertion of the plugs, wound very tight with copper wire 1 r Fig. 7 and r r Fig. 9.

Each plug has a valve in the end which isinserted vin the tube Fig. 16 s s Fig. 9, which is intended to prevent the air from escaping after the tube has been inflatedthe valve admitting the air, or gas, but self acting by backward pressure. The tube being now complete is filled with air or gas; when the process of filling the tube is completed-it is ready to attach to the rail by making a groove on the inside of the rail Fig. 6 t, 2f andFig 13 i t, ,of suic:lient size to. receivetheinlated tube, and the` tube cemented to'the upper` edge of the rail on the inside with any kind of, cement which is strong enough tohold the tube in its place- I generally use india rubber cement (anarticle well known among india rubber deal-y ers). for that purpose. i

As,before observed, when the tube is quired topassa pocket, whetheratfthe corner Fig.,1 b2, or atthe oblong center'Fig. 1

52,; it will pass outside the pocket; when carried allaround the table` andproperly secured in its place, the tube is covered with asuitablematerial, Vgenerally with green billiard cloth,` extendingrfrom the upper edge ofthe groove where vthe tubeis inlaid and eX- tending tothe lowersideofthe rail where it is secured to the-bed, Fig. Q13 0,10.'Y f g Anothergmethod of fasteningthe air or gas tight- `tube to the cushion rail is, to place it: in `the. groove, madel continuous except at the pockets, :as yheretofore described, and cover the tubewithfmuslin by tacking bot-h the` upper and lower-edges'ofthemuslin to the..cushionrail, confiningA the tube to the groove without the use of cement. Ido not consider the mannergof securingthe tubeto the rail. as essential. Many different-.ways wllbe suggested to` theworkman';f if, however, it; be requisite to lower the :tube upon the rail, that is,towardl the bed offthe table,

there may be a beveled piece of india rubber cemented to the surface of the tube, previous to the covering of green billiard cloth being put on, so as to bring the upper surface of the tube parallel with the upper edge of the rail, and which will present the ball from bouncing (or hopping) when played or thrown against the tube.

The substance which I have found in prac tice to answer best for making the air tight tube is sheet gum, or india rubber, it vmay however be made of any material which will allow the elasticity of the air within it to have sufiicient play: the tube may also be made of different shapes, the form not being essential; and the mandrel over which it is` formed maybe of different substances: or, instead of the mandrel, there may be used a cord made of india rubber and varnished so that t-he sheet rubber will not adhere to it; the cord is `left inside of the air tight tube, Fig. 14 y) p2, and ifthe tube should at any time from injury permit the escape of the air it willnevertheless form a complete india rubber cushion. The elasticity ofthe cushion will be greater the more the tube is inf flated,` any excess of pressure, however, will greatly increase the elasticity of the cushion and evfenY themere pressure of the atmosphere within the tube, provided the ends'are closed, will' add to its elasticity and ca use it to throw a ball farther than a common cushion. I do not claim a valve of any peculiar shape, and theplug which 'is inserted inthe tube to confine the air or, gas may vary in shape, or any other material Vmay be used which will confine4 the airgongasin the tube after it is inated.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is*- 41. .The application of air or gas confined in fa tube of' india rubber or other elastic material to form Vthe cusliionof a billiard table or bagatelle table.,- f 2.` I `also claiinthe'within described'mode of extending the tubethat contains the air or" gas in one length around the table in consequence of which the cushions (ftubes) Qn a table may be inflated at the same time with one A'air pump, ,by which the cush'ionsare v inflated equally in everyn part'and' by"`\`vhich every point receivesthe same elasticity. 1` i `ABM. `BASSFORD.` .VVitnesses: Y

' vWM. H. IHIM, ISAAC O. BARKER,

[Fmsframmn 1913.] s 

